Climate change is one of the many unsolved problems that people around the world face every day. Environmentalists, along with many other scientists, are concerned about the growing problem of rising temperatures on Earth, due to its catastrophic effects on society. Some people believe this growing problem is man-made, while others believe it is an irreversible problem that Mother Nature created for us. Either way, global warming is one of the biggest societal problems that remains unsolved today, leading to what some scientists believe will be "the end of humanity as we know it." . Global warming, by definition, is “a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the Earth's atmosphere,” while climate change is “the change in global climate patterns within our Earth” (mit.edu). These two problems are linked to each other and both have devastating effects. Industrial companies in developed countries like China and the United States fail to release greenhouse gases from fossil fuels into the environment. When industries and automobiles release these gases into the environment, they rise into the atmosphere and act like a blanket, trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere. Factories and automobiles in these countries produce greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere. Then, the gases damage the ozone layer, creating warmer temperatures from the sun's thermal rays. Today, these higher temperatures are resulting in a warmer planet and more severe storm systems, causing more deaths from severe weather disasters. This issue is still unresolved because developing countries cannot afford to acquire new technologies for “greener” installations, and developed countries will not change their ways. Alt...... middle of paper ... and hot in the region, with little or no water (especially in desert areas). Overall, climate change is a major problem that requires increased global attention. Until now, the United Nations has established certain regulations that all nations must follow for factories and other industries. An example would be: "All countries and nations should begin reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by January 2015." The role of the United Nations today in the fight against climate change is to establish these regulations to help improve conditions in low-lying countries. However, one way to further address the problem is to continue to develop smarter regulations, find ways to enforce them, and ensure that countries have the resources to implement these regulations. These steps taken by the United Nations will go a long way in improving greenhouse gas levels around the world.